Kessler Foundation Commissions National Disability Employment Survey

WEST ORANGE, NJ--(Marketwired - Jul 29, 2014) - Kessler Foundation has commissioned a national employment survey on the employment situation of Americans with disabilities. The survey will be designed, field-tested and executed by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center (UNH-SC). The results of the 2014 National Employment Survey on the Status of Americans with Disabilities, which will be initially analyzed by the UNH Institute of Disability (UNH-IOD), will be released in July 2015 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

"Our goal is to maximize employment opportunities for people with disabilities, the largest minority in the U.S.," said Rodger DeRose, president and chief executive officer of Kessler Foundation. "This in-depth survey will provide detailed information about the current status of employment and support efforts to identify innovative strategies that result in long-term employment for large numbers of people." The employment gap is a significant one. In 2012, 73.6% of working age (18 to 64) people without disabilities were employed, compared with 32.7% of people with disabilities, a gap of 40.9%.

UNH-SC will survey 3,000 adults with disabilities in the U.S. by region, demographics, disability type, and employment status. Questions will address job search strategies, use of accommodations, employer practices, use of support services, the nature of barriers, factors involved in loss of employment, and in the subpopulation that has never worked or sought to work.

"Through this survey, we will get a picture of what is working and what is not working in terms of getting people engaged in long-term, competitive jobs," noted John O'Neill, PhD, CRC, director of Employment & Disability Research at Kessler Foundation. "These data will be available to researchers for further analysis. We anticipate that these findings will guide the actions of employers, individuals, families, and service providers who are committed to expanding opportunities for people with disabilities."

Kessler Foundation and UNH-IOD collaborate on National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) a monthly update based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs Report, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Employment data are customized to reflect the status of the working age population (age 16-64) with disabilities.

About the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire

The Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) was established in 1987 to provide a coherent university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. For information on the NIDIRR-funded Employment Policy and Measurement Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, visit http://www.ResearchonDisability.org.

About Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.